Obama Repeats Pledge To Keep U.S. Out Of Iraq Ground War
President Barack Obama has reiterated his pledge to not send combat ground troops into Iraq to fight the Islamic State.
Obama made his comments while speaking at the MacDill Air Force base in Tampa, Florida, on Wednesday, saying: "Whether in Iraq or in Syria, these terrorists will learn the same thing that the leaders of Al Qaeda already know: We mean what we say."
"We've always known that the end of the war in Afghanistan didn't mean the end of threats or challenges to America."
"The American forces that have been deployed to Iraq do not and will not have a combat mission," he continued. "I will not commit you and the rest of our armed forces to fighting another ground war in Iraq."
The president added that the United States is receiving support in its airstrikes in Syria and Iraq from various allies, including some Middle Eastern countries that have remained anonymous. "This is not and will not be America's fight alone," the president said.
The president reiterated his pledge to not put boots on the ground after Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a recent Senate Armed Services Committee that if the Obama administration's current strategy of air striking Iraq fails to destroy the Islamic State, he will advise the deployment of troops.
"To be clear, if we reach the point where I believe our advisers should accompany Iraqi troops on attacks against specific ISIL targets, I will recommend that to the president," Dempsey said this week.
